Surviving the Holiday Season in 2021

Written by Amanda Holmberg, MS LMFT, Radiant Living Therapist & Owner

As the holidays are upon us, I am not sure I know one single person that isn’t stressed out in some way by the holidays.

Common reasons to be stressed by the holiday season are:

Woman sitting in window with holiday lights outside. You can get online therapy in Minnesota for family counseling plymouth, mn from an anxiety therapist near you to help cope with the holidays in 2021.

Gift-Giving: Feeling on top of your list as well as feeling financial able to buy for everyone
Travel: The pressure to travel and finances related to traveling
Family Drama
Issues with In-Laws
Fear of spreading or getting Covid-19
Loss and grief
Time off Work
Differences with family about how to spend the holidays
Depression
……and so much more

Why does a season that is supposed to be joyful bring so much stress?

One word: E X P E C T A T I O N S

We have so many expectations of ourselves. Make sure to get a gift for everyone on my list, don’t forget about anyone, find extra money to afford the many expenses that come with the holidays, go to all the parties and get-togethers, decorate your home as the perfect display of holiday magic, and so on. And we expect that we should do all the things perfectly and seamlessly.

I am here solely to give you permission to rid yourself of expectations this holiday season.

We’ve all had a tough couple of years living through an unprecedented global pandemic. And it’s not over yet. We all deserve to do what feels easiest and best for us to do for ourselves and our immediate families. Might you disappoint or piss a few people off while doing his? Absolutely. Be prepared for it. But you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Ways to decrease stress and expectations of self this holiday season:

City hall with red and green lights and holiday decor. You can get family counseling plymouth, mn here. Get online therapy in Minnesota from an anxiety therapist near you to help cope with the holidays in 2021.

Say “No” to any activity or family gathering that you don’t feel excited to go to
Say “No” to any activity or family gathering that does not fit with your comfort level of gatherings and staying safe with covid
Encourage your extended family to change the way gift-giving is done to make it less stressful
- This could include: no gifts at all except for children, foregoing gifts and pooling some money to donate to a family in need, draw names so you only have to get one adult gift, etc
Schedule downtime for yourself. If you have a holiday party to go to on Saturday, give yourself all of Sunday to relax and recoup
Limit your drinking. Alcohol is a depressant and during withdrawal can make you feel pretty darn depressed
Think of the most stressful part of your holiday season. It might be traveling, gift-giving, decorating, in-laws, etc. Once you have your most stressful thing? Find a way to change it or eliminate it.
Volunteer with an organization that is meaningful to you. Helping others helps our own stress
Make time for your regular healthy lifestyle routines like exercising, meditation, reading books, etc.

Finally, consider online therapy in Minnesota for you and your family.

Seek out therapy for unresolved or ongoing issues that may come up for you during the holidays so that you may be able to experience the season in a healthier way

Once you have made some concrete decisions around decreasing your expectations and stress level…congratulate yourself! These are not easy decisions and may come with some guilt. Doing what is best for yourself, in the long run, is not always easy or fun. Way to go for prioritizing yourself!

Woman blowing confetti out of her hands to celebrate the holidays. You can get family counseling plymouth, mn from an anxiety therapist near you to help cope with the holidays in 2021.

Thinking About Online Therapy in Minnesota?

Right now, it might feel difficult to make time to meet with your therapist. But, we offer online counseling in Minnesota, no matter where you are in the state. We can provide high-quality telehealth services for you and your family! To get started, simply:

Schedule a free, 30-minute consultation to talk about online therapy over the holidays
Meet with a skilled and licensed online therapist
Feel better about dealing with the expectations and pressures of the holidays now

Schedule a Free Consultation

Other Counseling Services at Radiant Living Therapy

Our problems have many layers. We know these issues are complex so, at our Plymouth, MN counseling office, our professional therapists offer a variety of options for supporting your mental health needs. Our counseling services include individual counseling for anxiety or depression therapy, counseling for teens, marriage counseling and couples therapy, EMDR for trauma therapy, counseling for men, therapy for infertility and more. Most of these services can also be offered online. Let us help you live your best life, starting with online therapy.

If you are a helping professional looking for help, or a therapist needing supervision or consultation services, we can help you, too. No matter the need, our therapists look forward to connecting with you!